Best Laid Plans

by Abbie Zanders

  Kevin was still drawing, but he had eaten his hamburger. She curled up in the ratty, oversize armchair and pulled out her phone to do more research, surprised when she saw a text from Tori.

  Tori: Loved meeting you and Kevin today. Call me?

  Sandy sighed and swiped the text away. As much as she had enjoyed meeting Tori and Danny, she didn’t trust herself to call. She’d probably end up committing to something she wouldn’t be able to pull off, and she didn’t want to do that. If and when she was able to swing something, then she’d call.

  She did the same when Tori texted again on Monday and then again on Wednesday, feeling worse each time. When Thursday and Friday went by without any more texts, Sandy thought that was the end of it.

  “There’s a couple asking for you,” Carmella said, coming into the kitchen at Franco’s with a tray of dirty dishes Friday night.

  “Who?”

  “I don’t know. They look kind of familiar, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen them here before.”

  “Where are they?”

  “In the niche, table six. I can take it if you want.”

  “No, I got it. Thanks.”

  Curious, Sandy went into the dining room and headed toward the table in the far corner. She didn’t immediately recognize the woman wearing tortoiseshell glasses and a wide band in her shoulder-length hair, but the guy was familiar. “Brian? Tori?”

  Tori offered a sheepish smile. “Yep.”

  “I didn’t recognize you.”

  Tori self-consciously patted her hair. “That’s kind of the idea.”

  Sandy was confused until she remembered that Tori had been thrust into the limelight not all that long ago.

  “Are you here for dinner?”

  “Yes, but mostly to see you. Do you have a minute?”

  Sandy hesitated, even as a pang of guilt washed over her for ignoring Tori’s texts. She really didn’t want to have this discussion, especially not there.

  “It won’t take long, I promise,” Tori said quietly, and Sandy felt even worse.

  “Sure. I’m due for a break in a few minutes.”

  “Great. We’ve never been here before. What do you recommend?”

  “Franco’s chicken piccata is to die for, but his fettuccine Alfredo and eggplant parmigiana are legendary.”

  Sandy took their orders back. She grabbed a basket of fresh, crusty bread and Franco’s special olive oil and roasted garlic dipping sauce and took it to the table with their drinks. She had only two other tables. One had just received their food, and the other was finished and just lingering over coffee and dessert, so it was as good a time as any.

  “I’m sorry I haven’t responded,” she said as she grabbed a chair from an adjacent table and sat down. “It was rude of me, I know, especially after you were so kind. The ranch is a great place, but I just don’t think we can swing it right now.”

  “That’s kind of what we wanted to talk to you about,” Tori said, exchanging a look with Brian, who nodded encouragingly.

  “Oh?”

  “What would you think about letting Kevin come up to the ranch for a few hours each morning?”

  Sandy blinked. “I think that would be great,” she said slowly, mentally tallying the hourly rate Tori had mentioned, “but I could never afford something like that.”

  Rather than be disappointed, Tori smiled. “Well, you could with the employee discount.”

  “I’m sorry, what employee discount?”

  “There’s a lot of work involved in keeping horses, and Kevin really seemed to respond well. We thought that maybe you’d consider letting him give it a try. A big part of hippotherapy is caring for the animals and forming a connection with them.”

  “Are you offering Kevin a job or therapy sessions?” Sandy asked, certain she’d misunderstood.

  “Both really. Nothing he can’t handle—helping to groom the horses, give them fresh water and hay, stuff like that. He’d be with Danny, both of them supervised at all times, and they could hang out together when the morning chores are done. If he does well, we can move up to riding eventually.”

  Sandy felt tears prickling at the backs of her eyes at the sheer kindness she saw in Tori’s eyes. She was pretty sure this wasn’t a deal Tori offered to everyone. If it was, she’d be out of business before she even got started. “Why would you do that for us?”

  “It’s not entirely selfless,” Tori rushed to explain. “You’d be helping us out too. Socialization isn’t easy for Danny. He’s had a rough time of it, and Brian and I are extremely protective of him. He could use a friend, someone to hang out with who doesn’t mind that he looks different.” Tori’s voice cracked, and Brian immediately covered her hand with his. It was a sweet and tender gesture.

  “Danny really liked spending time with Kevin,” Brian added, “and the two of them seemed to get along well together.”

  “They did,” Sandy agreed.

  “So,” Tori continued, the words coming faster now, “we were thinking that maybe we could do a trial period or something and see how it goes. You could bring Kevin up in the morning before you go to work and then pick him up later. What do you think?”

  “I think it sounds too good to be true,” Sandy said honestly.

  Brian smiled. “Will you consider it?”

  Sandy nodded.

  “Good. Take a couple of days and think it over. Whatever you decide, we hope you’ll bring Kevin back even if it’s just for a visit. Danny hasn’t stopped asking when he’s coming back.”

  “I will, and ... thanks.”

  Sandy didn’t have to take a couple of days. She’d already made up her mind by the time Tori and Brian finished their meal. She brought out two slices of Italian cream cake and placed them on the table along with a carafe of fresh, hot coffee. When Tori began to protest, Sandy waved her hand.

  “Compliments of the house,” she said, smiling.

  “Thank you, Sandy,” Brian told her.

  “My pleasure. And about your idea ... let’s give it a try.”

  Tori’s face lit up. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  “Is Monday morning too early to start?”

  Sandy laughed. “Monday morning is perfect.”

  “Great! See you then. Danny is going to be so excited!”

  Though she was practically bursting with excitement when she got home that night, she didn’t mention anything to Kevin on the off chance that it didn’t pan out. She didn’t want to get his hopes up. Given the way fate had been throwing a monkey wrench into her plans lately, it seemed not only possible but also probable that something would screw it up, and they’d both had enough disappointment to last them a while.

  Luckily, a quick text on Sunday night confirmed that everything was still on, and Monday morning, Sandy felt confident enough to share the good news with Kevin. Maybe, just maybe, the universe was finally giving her a break.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Heff

  “Hey, Hugh, got a sec?”

  Heff paused from unloading the back of the old pickup and turned to face Tori. Since Church and Brian had struck up a mutually beneficial agreement, they’d decided to salvage what they could from the old stables at the resort and donate it to Happy Trails. He was happy to do it too. He liked Brian, Tori, and even the kid, Danny. Bonus: they weren’t crawling up his ass about why he’d been begging off team meals at Franco’s.

  “Sure, what’s up?”

  “One of the breeders showed up early, and I need to talk to her. Would you mind keeping an eye on the boys for me for a few minutes?”

  Heff didn’t hesitate. “Sure, I can do that. Where are they?”

  “In the barn. They know what to do. I’d just feel better knowing someone was close by.”

  He nodded. “Go do what you gotta do.”

  “Thanks! I won’t be long, I promise.”

  Heff walked over to the barn, where the two boys were focused on their tasks. Danny, he already knew, but the other kid, h
e’d only seen from a distance—most recently here, at the ranch, but before that, through Sandy’s kitchen window when he’d done his bit of recon that night. It seemed the universe was determined to keep Sandy Summers in the forefront of his thoughts, no matter how hard he tried not to think about her.

  He observed from the doorway for a few minutes. Danny was shaking out saddle blankets, and the bigger kid was sweeping the floor in precise, controlled movements. Danny was talking a mile a minute about his new horse but paused when he noticed Heff standing there.

  “Hey, Mr. Bradley. Have you met my friend Kevin?”

  “I haven’t,” Heff said, moving farther into the barn. “But what did I tell you about calling me Mr. Bradley?”

  “That I should just call you Hugh. But Mom says I should show more respect than that.”

  He appreciated that Tori felt he was deserving of that respect, but at the same time, he wondered when the hell he’d gotten old enough for a kid to call him Mr. Bradley. It felt strange. Too formal. He rarely interacted with anyone outside of his team, and they all called him Heff. Tori was one of the few who actually called him by his given name.

  “Well, I guess she has a point. Showing respect is important. But when it’s just us guys hanging out, you can call me Hugh, okay? It’ll be our secret.”

  “Deal.” Danny grinned and turned to the other boy. “Kevin, this is my friend, Hugh. He helps out around here sometimes too.”

  “Hi, Kevin,” Heff said, addressing him. “You can call me Hugh too, if you’d like.”

  Kevin said nothing, didn’t even look his way, continuing to sweep with small strokes of the broom.

  “Don’t mind Kevin,” Danny said, turning back to Heff. “He doesn’t talk much.”

  “That’s okay. Talking is overrated anyway,” Heff told him. “Now, music, on the other hand ...”

  Danny’s eyes lit up. “Do you have your phone?”

  “Of course,” Heff replied, smoothly extracting it from his pocket. “The usual?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  Heff tapped the screen a few times, bringing up one of the many seventies music playlists he’d created. Soon, the sounds of the Bee Gees filled the small space, and Danny was moving in time with the beat. Heff joined in, showcasing some of his best Saturday Night Fever moves. By the third song, he thought he’d even seen Kevin swaying a little.

  “Having fun?”

  Heff turned around to find Tori in the doorway, her eyes twinkling. He grinned sheepishly and turned down the music. “You weren’t supposed to see that.”

  She laughed. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

  “Well, guys, it’s been real, but I’ve got to get back to work. Later.”

  “Bye, Hugh! I mean, uh, Mr. Bradley,” Danny called out.

  Tori was trying hard not to smile as she followed Heff out of the barn. “Thanks, Hugh.”

  “Anytime.” He grinned back at her. “That new kid, is that the one you were talking about?”

  Tori nodded. “Kevin? Yep. We’ve agreed to do a trial period, but honestly, I can’t see it not working out. He seems to be handling it well, and Danny loves having him around.”

  “Good. I’m glad to hear it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Heff

  Heff sensed something was wrong the moment he neared the entrance to Sanctuary property and saw the taillights of Church’s vehicle ripping down the mountain road. His suspicions were confirmed when he pulled up in front of the main building and saw Mad Dog, Cage, and Smoke looking grim with Smoke sporting a few open cuts and bruises that hadn’t been there that morning.

  “What happened?”

  Cage answered. “Doc and Smoke were working on the chimney when the scaffolding collapsed.”

  “Fuck.”

  Smoke was looking a little worse for wear but otherwise unharmed.

  “Doc?”

  “Sliced his leg up pretty good. Church is running him down to the ER.”

  Sam came running out of the building, hefting an industrial-sized first aid kit. She looked paler than usual but was all business as she started tending to Smoke’s injuries like a seasoned field medic.

  “I’m fine,” Smoke told her.

  “You’re not fine. You’re bleeding.”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “Nothing, my ass. You could have been killed. Sit down and let me take care of you before I lose my shit.”

  The others held their grins in check as Smoke exhaled heavily and sat down on a stack of recently delivered flat stones. Sam was a small woman but fierce. And it was clear that Smoke loved the way she fussed over him, no matter how much he pretended otherwise.

  Smoke hissed as she poured something over his bleeding arm. “Jesus, woman.”

  “Don’t be such a baby. We need to clean this out. You might need stitches.”

  “I don’t need stitches,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “Says the man who thinks being shot isn’t a big deal. Honestly. Sit still.”

  “How did this even happen?” Heff asked. “We’ve been using that scaffolding for weeks and haven’t had a problem.”

  Mad Dog walked around the collapsed equipment, as if looking for something. “It shouldn’t have happened,” he said gravely. “I checked everything last night. It was fine.”

  “What are you saying? That someone came by in the middle of the night and sabotaged it?”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time, would it?” commented Smoke.

  “We don’t know those things were deliberate.”

  Smoke shook his head. “Once or twice can be chalked up to bad luck. More than that, it’s a curse or coincidence, and I don’t believe in either.”

  “I’ll check the footage from the security cameras I have up,” Cage said, heading back to his trailer. “If someone did do this, we’ll know soon enough.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Sandy

  By the end of the week, Sandy finally let herself start to believe that things were going to work out. Kevin was humming—actually humming—as he went through his morning routine. The tune was familiar, something her mom used to listen to sometimes on the weekends when they had “family cleaning time.” She’d put an album on the old turntable and dance around, sweeping, cleaning, and polishing, using the duster as a microphone and doing something called The Bump with the upright vacuum. Sandy and Trace used to roll their eyes and laugh, but eventually, they’d get caught up in the funky music and join in.

  It was getting easier to remember some of the happier times. She chalked it up to having Kevin around. It was nice, eating breakfast with him in the morning and spending time with him at the end of the day. He reminded her what it was like to feel as if she were part of a family again.

  Sandy was still smiling when she left the township building to pick up Kevin. The silly but fond memories inspired her to tune the car radio to the oldies station that featured songs from the sixties, seventies, and eighties. Some she recognized, and some she didn’t, but she liked it enough to add it to her receiver presets.

  Sandy pulled into one of the spots in front of the house and looked out toward the stables.

  Before she could walk over that way, Tori opened the door and called out, “We’re in here.”

  Sandy changed course and headed for the house.

  “Sorry, we came in a little early today.”

  “No problem. Everything okay?”

  “Oh, yeah. I told the boys that if they got all their chores done, they could come inside and watch a video while I took care of some paperwork. They were finished in record time.” Tori laughed. “I’ll have to remember that. It might become a regular Friday thing. Do you have time to come in and have a cup of coffee? The video’s almost over, and Danny was hoping to show Kevin his new building set.”

  “A cup of coffee sounds wonderful, if you’re sure you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all. I’d appreciate the company, and it will give us a chance to talk whil
e they’re occupied. I’m anxious to hear your thoughts on how things are going.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll just let Kevin know I’m here.”

  Tori nodded. “They’re in the family room. Down the hall and to the left. Go on in. I’ll be in the kitchen.”

  Sandy poked her head into the family room. Kevin was on the couch, and Danny was on the floor, a massive pile of colorful plastic pieces strewed over the floor between them. The TV was on, but neither one of them was paying attention to it.

  “Hey, guys.”

  Kevin didn’t say anything, but she could have sworn she saw his shoulders relax at the sound of her voice.

  “Hey, Miss Sandy,” Danny greeted. “Can Kevin stay longer today? I just got this cool new building set. We’re going to make a roller coaster!”

  She looked at Kevin, who was focused intently only on the colorful pieces and didn’t seem upset with the request. “Sure,” she replied. “I’ll be in the kitchen with your mom.”

  Sandy returned to the kitchen to find Tori pouring two cups of coffee. “They’re going to build a roller coaster.”

  Tori grinned. “I think Danny’s going to be a theme park engineer when he grows up. Last week, it was a Ferris wheel. And the week before that, a water slide.”

  “That’s awesome.”

  “It is,” Tori agreed. “Brian keeps buying him these add-on kits, so they can build more stuff. I’m not sure who’s having more fun playing with them—Danny or Brian. Would you like a slice of peach coffee cake? My friend Maggie dropped it off this morning, and it is to die for. She’s got her own orchard and everything.”

  “I’d love one, thanks.” Sandy sat down at the table and took a sip of coffee, delighting in the rich, smooth taste. “Wow, that’s good.”

  “Thanks. I made it in an old-fashioned percolator I picked up at an estate sale. Takes half an hour to brew but so worth it.”

  “Half an hour?”

  Tori grinned sheepishly. “I admit, I was hoping you’d say yes and set it up to be ready when you arrived.” She set two plates on the table and then sat down and took a bite. Her eyes closed for an instant in bliss, something Sandy fully understood a moment later when she took a bite of her own.